Always and Forever
by OneTreeHill12
Summary: Set after 7X21. Nathan wants to help Haley but she doesn't want to at first. What happens when Nathan finally breaks down and shows his vulnerability?


Nathan leaned against the bathroom doorway. He watched as his wife sat in the tub, still in clothes, crying with the water streaming onto and down her body. He wasn't sure if she was crying because she failed at killing herself or not. And it hurt him. Nathan wasn't sure if he could last a week if his wife had succeeded with her suicide.

He sighed inwardly and walked up to the bathtub. He knelt down and gently moved a handful of stringy, wet hair behind her ear, "Baby, are you ready to talk?" Haley took a deep breath and looked up at her husband. She grabbed his hand and pulled him.

Nathan stood up and joined her in the tub. He didn't care about his clothes or his shoes. His wife was hurting. That was more important. That was all that mattered. Nathan sat down and hugged his wife to his chest, "Hales, what happened?" He rested his chin on his wife's head and sighed, "Talk to me, Haley. Please."

Nathan could feel the deep breath that Haley took. He loosened his grip on Haley and she turned to face him. Seeing her like this, so broken, so vulnerable, broke his heart. He watched as she searched his eyes, trying to figure out to tell him. Finally, she decided on an approach, "I'm sorry. I want to let you in, I really do. I just…. I don't know what to say to make this any easier for you or me. I just… I don't have the words."

Nathan turned off the water and gently wiped his wife's face, "How about you start with what pushed you to try and drown yourself?" Haley laughed shortly without any humor, "I don't know. Maybe it had something to do with my mother dying. God, Nathan!" She stood up and started to get out of the tub but Nathan grabbed her. He stood up and turned her to look at him, "Haley! I know you're hurting. I know, Haley." His voice cracked and a tear fell down his cheek, "But you are my wife. You are the love of my life, the mother to my child, my lifesaver. Did you even think about me when you jumped in? Did you even think about what it would have done to me? If you died?"

Haley watched as Nathan showed his vulnerability. He so rarely did show how he felt but when he did, it cut her down to the bone. The same effect happened and a tear slid down Haley's cheek. She hadn't thought about that. She was being selfish and she didn't know what her death would have down to him or her son. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. Nathan hugged her tightly, "We need to talk about this, Haley. I need to understand what's going on in your head right. I want to help you."

Haley nodded, "Okay, I'll let you in. But first, can we please dry off and change? I've had enough water for a lifetime." Nathan nodded and they both got out of the tub. They walked into the bedroom and grabbed two towels. Nathan pulled off his shirt as he turned. He watched Haley strip off her clothes and wipe off the water on her body. She was gorgeous. But Nathan didn't think that sex at a time like this would help. He took the rest of his clothes off and dried himself.

Then he got dressed in a fresh outfit and sat on the bed, waiting for Haley. After a few seconds, she joined him.

They sat opposite of each other and stared at each other. Haley took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Nathan. I was always so close to my mother. She helped me through so many things. I just… I couldn't bare the thought of living without her. I forgot to think of you and Jamie and what my death would have been like for you. How hard you would take it. I just didn't want to live without my mom."

Nathan sighed, "But Haley, you've had such a fulfilling life with your mom. She wouldn't want you to just give up. Plus, if you died, I would die. I can't live without you. Don't you remember back in high school? When you left me for a tour with Chris Keller? Haley, I couldn't bare the thought of living without you. And in result, I crashed a racing car into a wall. I nearly killed myself. My life without you in it was terrible. Why couldn't you just talk to me?"

"Because… I have this darkness inside of me now. I don't know how to control it and it seems to be controlling me. How am I supposed to tell you that?" Nathan moved closer to his wife and cupped her cheek gently, "You just did. Haley, I have darkness inside of me too. A different kind of darkness but it's there, none the less. I can help you. You just have to talk to me."

Nathan watched as a tear slipped from Haley's eye. He wiped it gently away and kissed her forehead. He knew she was still broken inside and there would be parts of her he couldn't fix, but he would try everything to fix the parts he could.

Haley closed her eyes as his lips brushed her forehead. Nathan pulled away but she remained closed off. Then she opened her eyes and placed a hand on Nathan's cheek. He turned his head so that his mouth was inside her hand and he kissed it. Then he looked back at her, "I love you, Haley James Scott. Don't you ever forget that."

Haley sighed as he said her full name. He so rarely did now a days. It felt good to know that he still knew that side of her. She smiled for the first time after her mother's death and looked him in the eyes, "I love you too, Nathan Scott." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled away, "I don't want-"

Nathan shook his head, "Then we won't. But I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere." Haley nodded and released her hold in his neck. It was already late and they were both getting pretty tired. Nathan moved back all the way to the pillows and Haley followed. He moved the comforter so that they could get underneath.

When they were settled, Nathan moved the comforter back in place. He wrapped his arms around Haley's waist and she rested her head against the crook of his shoulder. Nathan kissed the top of her head and she sighed. "I love you, Hales. Always and forever."

Haley smiled at the last part. It was another thing that went unsaid for years, but, like the full name, it was nice to know that Nathan still remembered and cared. Haley closed her eyes and for the first time since her mother's death, the darkness seemed a little less dark, "Always and forever."

It didn't take long for them to fall asleep after that. They held onto each other like they were lifelines. And, in a sense, they were. Without Haley, Nathan would have died years ago. Without Nathan, Haley would have died that night. They were meant to be together and nothing was going to force them apart. They lived off each other.

Always and forever.


End file.
